DRENCHING LAMBS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1838, 26 August 1913, Page 8

DRENCHING LAMBS.

INFORMATION FOR SHEEPOWNERS. ' Years ago, when pastures were foul and "sheep sick," disease among sheep, particularly lambs, was far moro prevalent than nowadays, resulting in serious losses to tho pastoralists. Sinco tihen bettor fanning customs havo been instrumental in removing tho principal causes wltich provided the Breeding grounds for tho deadly microbes, lit all probability a largo percentage of tho heavy mortality which occurred amongst lambs in days 'gono by was brought about hy tho manner in which the preventive measures wero , administered. Thousands of lambs were drenched every yoar by moans of small syringes; and flock-owners considered themselves fortunate if they icaretl from forty to fifty per cerit-. of .lambs to maturity, liven with tho great improvement which has now taken placc in tho health of sheep, it sometimes becomes necessary to 'resort to tho use of a drench. Tho Journal of Agriculture, for tho current month reports 'tho observations of a Govoramcnt veterinary officer, who recently visited a farm for tho purpose of assisting the owner in determining tho cause of somo mortality wltich 'had occurred anion" lambs, and tlio officer makes tho following remarks in his report npon tho matter; — "In, conversation with 'Mr. 1 •learned that lip had been drenching the lambs with turpentine and: linseed oil, and .that nearly all—possibly all —of tlio doaths had occurred very'shortly after drenching; also that ho had used a .powter syringo to drench with, and believed 'iit doing it quickly, and with force."How to use a Syringo. Commenting on the foregoing, Mr. C. J. Keakes, M.R.C.V.S., says:—ln these days it seems difficult to realise how any man could imagine that to forco liquid medicine down the throat through tho medium of a syringe is a and proper way of administering it. _ It is an excollent way of forcing the liquid into tho windpipo and killing tho patient, and I 'havo no doubt but that theso lambs were in this way killed by tlio owner. With sheep and lambs, as withother animals, liquid niedicino should bd given slowly and carefully, a, small quantity only being quietly poured into tho mouth at a time, and caro being taken to pour in no .moro until that is properly swallowed. Tlio head sliould bo held, by tho upper jaw only, slightly above the horizontal line (care being 'taken not to compress tho nostrils), and tho tongue loft quite free.,

Some interesting specimens of tho handicraft 9!' tho students at tho Hawlcesbury Agricultural College in New South Wales havo been forwarded to tho Now Zealand Department of Agriculture. Tho articles, which wero shown to a Dominion reporter at tho Primo Minister's office at tlie Parliament Buildings yesterday, afford striking cvidenco of tlio proficiency attained by tlio students in various trades, including saddlery and blacksmith's work. Tho saddlory articles, which aro the most numerous in the collcction, aro all ercccdingly well made, and tho same remark applies to tlio smith's work, which comprises liorso shoes, a gato hinge, ctc. A horse-cover and a canvas are also includod_in tho collection, wliicli is well worth inspection. Tlio work, it may bo noted, is not tlio chief occupation of the students, but is moroly an incidental part of their work at the collego.